The second motorhome was perfect, easy to drive, even on the steepest, unsurfaced mountain roads, and with snow chains had we needed them, and just as happy on fast motorways. It drove so much like a car that we were even overtaking some cars on the mountain roads occasionally. All in all a very pleasant experience and highly recommended. We had four weeks and were sad to have to give it back.

Charles Lyne, UK, May, 2009

Safe Touring

Since your campervan can be almost your home away from home while traveling, you will want to take some precautions to protect it and the things inside it. Ideally, you wouldn't leave anything valuable at all in your campervan, but the reality of travel is that your campervan is going to serve as much like a safe deposit box or luggage storage closet as transportation.

1.     Pack valuables securely when you pick up

Find a secure location in your campervan for your valuables especially travel documents, mobile phones, laptops, and wallets and pack them in there before you drive away.   The Wilderness Base Jumpers and Longboarders have a fixed safe and lockable glove box which is ideal for valuables.  By the time you pull into a campsite or any parking spot, everything you plan to leave in the campervan should already be well stowed and hidden. To pull into your spot and then take your most valuable items out of the vehicle then repack them is to broadcast to anyone within view exactly where to focus their attentions if they want to rip you off. 

2.     Don't leave valuables in sight

Remove temptation.  Always put your valuables back in their secure storage spot when you have finished using them.  If you have a laptop, use it inside your vehicle especially if other people are around.  Don't leave the GPS or even its cradle on the windscreen (windshield) or dashboard.  Don't leave your rental contract in the motorhome as this document has just about all the information you will need if the vehicle is stolen and also all the information a thief will need to evade detection if he or she is stopped for any reason before you report the vehicle as stolen.  Pack everything away in a drawer or cupboard when you are not in the vehicle.  If the vehicle has under seat storage as in the Wilderness Base Jumper, this spot is ideal as it is not an obvious location that thieves will check.  Seeing your belongings through the window tempts thieves to force entry. 

South-Island-Photos-104.jpg3.     Choose your parking space wisely

In an urban area, park in busy, open, well-lit areas.  Use an attended, secure parking building if you can.  Parking near the attended exit booth or parking office is the safest place.  When parking on the street, try to park within sight of a busy store or building entrance, under a street light, near a busy corner or out in the open away from things that might provide shelter to a thief (like thick or low-hanging trees).

4.      A neat campervan is less likely to get robbed

A campervan that is filled with jackets or beach towels that appear to be covering items of value or has wires sticking out here and there suggesting that electronic devices may also be stowed are much more likely to attract interest. If a potential thief sees nothing but campervan upholstery, he or she is less likely to be curious about what might be hidden in the campervan.

5.      Lock up when sleeping or leaving the vehicle unattended

It may seem like common sense but it's amazing how many people don't do it.  As crime rates are lower in New Zealand than in many countries, people get complacent and thieves will cash in.  Double check that you have locked the vehicle before you walk away.

South-Island-Photos-022.jpg6.      Keep your vehicle keys with you

Don't hide your keys on the vehicle - thieves will find it.

7.      Try not to look like a tourist

The more nondescript the rental model the less likely to attract attention it is.  Wilderness campers aren't plastered in sign writing making it obvious that tourists with valuables are onboard.  Thieves are less likely to target locals whose gear isn't as appealing.  

8.      Check for your valuables as soon as you return to your campervan

If you have any suspicions, you will want to make sure nothing was stolen before you drive off.   If your motorhome does get ripped off, you'll want to figure out the location it was robbed in case you have to file a complaint.  When surveying your motorhome, keep in mind that thieves know what to take - often items you won't notice until you are long gone.  For example, a common tactic is to take a camera out of a camera bag, but leave the bag behind; it looks like it was undisturbed so you won't figure it out for hours or days.  If the vehicle is damaged in anyway, report it to Wilderness as soon as possible.South-Island-Photos-011.jpg

9.      Rent wisely

Rent models that are not easily exposed or broken into and that have sufficient storage for anything you need secured.  A hip and tiny van sounds like a great idea but it could not be harder to hide stuff and easier to break into.

Remember that as a traveler or tourist, you are a mark.  Making the time and effort to take a few precautions with your vehicular home away from home can help ensure that you and all your stuff return home intact.  

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